My Pre-wedding guide to self-care

June 3, 2017

Yesterday, I got an email reminder from The Knot that my wedding is 74 days away, and immediately text my best friend with those exact words. To which she responded, “Lord Jesus.” And by the time this blog is posted it will be less than 60 days away. I can’t believe how quickly the day is approaching, and I could not be more excited! So, I wanted to share my pre-wedding self-care and wellness preparation that I have put into practice since February, in hopes that it will help other brides-to-be. Check out my skincare, meal planning and exercise regimens below, that are leading me to the path of flawlessness for the day I say, “I do” to mi amor.

The Skin You’re In Is IN

I have always put skincare first (over makeup) because my goal is to be able go without makeup for the days I simply don’t feel like wearing it and being confident in that. The queens in my family were huge examples of self-care for me, so I was into taking care of my skin at a young age. And prior to prepping for the wedding, here was the regimen:

Moisturizing: Active Moist (using this since my early 20s), Skin Tint, and a mask here and there

Leading up to 30, I started to notice that my face felt a bit tight during the day, but didn’t think anything of it because I thought I was doing all the right things. I mean that’s already a lot freaking steps, right!?

But one day, the wonderful Rachael from Kiehl’s reached out to me to see if I wanted to experience the new Apothecary Preparationswhere they create personalized serums for you. Of course, I was game. Once I took it home, I was excited but very hesitant because it has oil in it (I tend to be oily in my t-zone), but I still tried it. And the more I used it, the more I fell in love and my skin never look better. And it clicked! I needed more hydration. At that point, two things were added to my regimen – I started using the Pixi Glow Tonic, which has 5% Glycolic Acid and the Kiehl’s serum. And it seemed like overnight I had the best skin I have had in years. The moral of the story: hydrate and exfoliate like crazy, months leading up to the big day.

On top of these revelations, I decided to take advantage of a great deal Dermalogica was having, and I bought a series of 4 MicroZone Express Skin Treatments with a 5th treatment free and a $25 gift card, all for $160. This allowed me to get one treatment a month. It has been the best decision because again my skin has never looked better, and I receive excellent advice from expert aestheticians. I actually started using the Daily Microfoliant DAILY, and added a face oil in addition to my serum. All of this means that I will need less makeup, and the makeup I do wear on my wedding day will look even better. Once again, over-hydrate, exfoliate and use high quality products. It makes all the difference.

Looking snatched is a must

After my European travels over the holidays and eating a lot of bread, cheese and pasta, I went into high gear with Class Pass and my home gym. That included elliptical, yoga, Power Plate and pilates. However, after a couple of months of doing this, it wasn’t giving me the results I wanted. What results was I looking for? I wanted to be a bit more lean, stronger and toned. So, I decided to start doing BBG. I am now 8 weeks in and I LOVE It. It’s perfect for my schedule and the way I like to work out, and I can easily do this in my gym. Plus, I don’t have to think about what my routine will be for the week, I just follow the program. I wish I would have started the program earlier! I still try to incorporate yoga because it’s my favorite type of workout, but I have started to see some results with BBG. My arms are naturally muscular, but they are leaner and my thighs are leaner and toned. I am super excited to see what my body looks like by the time the wedding bells are ringing. I have also found it so much easier to stick to a workout plan when I have a goal in place.

Also, before working out, I really try to stick to my meditation practice in the mornings. I allow myself to hit snooze once, I drag myself out of bad, drink a cup of water, and plop down on the couch cross-legged. I love the Calm app. I set it for ten minutes and I am in meditation mode. Some weeks I only get in two days. Some days if I can’t wake up in time to both work out and meditate, I just listen to whatever my body really needs, and sometimes that is sitting in meditation for 15 minutes, and saving my workout until the evening or the next day. During this process, I have learned to have compassion with myself, and to really listen to what I need, instead of pushing myself to go, go, go like a robot.

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Eat good, feel good

A huge part of my road to wellness was eliminating as much sugar as I could from my diet. SK donuts, Susie Cakes and vegan cookies from Trader Joe’s are just a few of my sweet desires. I knew I could not completely eliminate this because depriving myself just makes me want it more. So I decided to only allow myself sweets Friday through Sunday. And even with this, I don’t always follow the rule. I slip up and often, but I always get back on the horse. It just goes back to having compassion for myself, and not beating myself up when I eat sh*tty foods during the week. My next goal is to only have sweet stuff Saturday and Sunday. I know I will not always stick to this rule, but it gives me guardrails.

Another change I made was making sure my meals were balanced. I typically eat very healthy whole foods, but I noticed it wasn’t always balanced. So, I started to do a little meal planning, but nothing crazy. I typically alternate my lunches between buying a few salads from Trader Joe’s or roasting broccoli with a sweet potato and a protein – either black beans, ground Beyond Beef or tuna. It’s super easy and takes the guesswork out of lunch. And for dinner, my fiance and I will cook 2-3 healthy meals a week that take no more than 30 minutes or so. Here are a few of my weekly favorites.